The Lowdown on Scooping Your Dream Home in Los Angeles
Ah! The dream of living in a city with swaying palm trees and an average temperature of 64°F year-round truly sounds like a paradise on earth – not to mention the idea of being surrounded by celebrities and food galore on every corner!
However, there are a few things you should know about buying a home in the second largest city in the US, before you decide to spend the rest of your life surfing and hanging out at Venice Beach or bicycling down Santa Monica Pier.
Choosing the Ideal Neighborhood
The first thing you’ll have to consider is the kind of neighborhood that best suits your taste. Fortunately, Los Angeles has one of the most varied markets in the entire country with reasonably priced homes for the average family, all the way to glitzy, multi-million dollar homes for the wealthy.
Los Angeles is such a sprawling metropolis that resembles the feeling of many large towns incorporated within a city, with many “suburbs” somewhat resembling “cities”. That’s why it is often best to focus on specific neighborhoods that cater to your needs instead of trying to tour the whole county at once – and trying to fight off the traffic at the same time! Be sure you have a precise idea of the kind of lifestyle you are after. Areas like Santa Monica, Venice, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Culver City, and Malibu all have a wide range of urban, low-rise condos to glorious gated communities and everything in between.
Prepare for Earthquakes, Erosions and Mudslides
Every so often in the news, you’ll come across beautiful, ocean front homes with spectacular views that become victim to a mud slide during those years that L.A. gets an above-average amount of rain. However, these kinds of scenarios can often be avoided by the use of a geological report that checks the integrity of the land before you purchase your home.
Traffic, Traffic, Traffic!
Need we say more? Once you see people brushing their teeth and eating their dinners while driving in their cars, you’ll get the idea! It may be a clever to choose a location for your home that requires the minimal use of freeways – especially during the horrendous morning and late afternoon hours. But even then, you will still have to learn the tricks and ropes about avoiding traffic jams, parking tickets and how to navigate the DMV when it comes time to register your vehicle.
“Sunshine” Tax
Remember, this is California – a very scenic place with some of the most glorious beaches on the planet. None of this comes without a price tag! This can amount to high property taxes, state income taxes, home insurance (especially if you want coverage for fires and earthquakes) and expensive maintenance and repairs if required.
Tip: Always be sure to tally up all the extra expenses you may incur before diving in with your new home purchase!
For more information on finding your dream home in Los Angeles, contact Linda Lackey at (310) 429-1185.
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