Help finding LA real estate agent

[ocrenter]

[quote=desmond]A 1610 sf house for $650K? When was the last time you tried to drive down Moorpark Blvd? Do you realize you have apartments then homes then stores then stop lights then bumper to bumper traffice 24 hours a day? It’s crazy in the valley and very dangerous and I am no pussy. Please stop with guessing your not doing anybody any good. Culver City, I am sure it is fine but if you have the money, and alot more than a $650k budget, but again it is crowded and having “culture” is a code word for it sucks……..If you are raising kids Valencia is the place. My wife and I put our emphasis on raising our two kids, everybody knows that here, that is why I know what I am talking about.[/quote]

how do you raise kids when one parent is stuck with a 3 hour commute daily?

long commute is bad for one’s health, bad for marriages, and therefore bad for the family and for the kids.

if today his work is in the Valley, I would say hands down Valencia is the place to be.

I would not pull the “family first” card here. we all know in order to put “family first” you got to put your own health and happiness first. because if you are healthy and happy, then you’ll be able to give your family 100%. and while it is theoretically possible to do with an 8 hour work day + another 3 hour commute, it becomes extremely extremely difficult to keep up.

[desmond]

OC, you are guessing again and now coming up with another poor reason. You can actually drive to downtown LA in less than 45 minutes from Valencia with moderate traffic. If you take the Metrolink it is relaxing. Have you lived in Valencia and worked in LA county as a salesperson driving everyday over every neighborhood for the past 20 years? I don’t think so, please for once you are not the expert.

[ocrenter]

[quote=desmond]OC, you are guessing again and now coming up with another poor reason. You can actually drive to downtown LA in less than 45 minutes from Valencia with moderate traffic. If you take the Metrolink it is relaxing. Have you lived in Valencia and worked in LA county as a salesperson driving everyday over every neighborhood for the past 20 years? I don’t think so, please for once you are not the expert.[/quote]

I’ve worked in Sylmar and lived in Sherman Oaks and seen how bad it was for the folks going in the opposite direction on the 405, the 170, and the 5 during peak hours. I can see from the traffic update just right now that things have not changed for the better. 40 miles of driving in LA is very different than 40 miles of driving in SD.

As a sales person, sounds like your driving habit would be very different compared to a typical commuter.

No one is claiming expert opinion except you here. So your expert opinion says Valencia to DT is a breeze, who is to doubt expert opinions, right?

[bearishgurl]

I’m re-e-e-a-a-a-ally partial to Pasadena:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Pasadena_CA/type-single-family-home,mfd-mobile-home/price-500000-700000?disp=1#/pfbm-0/pg-1

At the OP’s price range, one can get a larger Craftsman, Spanish or Arts & Crafts home of 1400-2200 sf on a larger-than-std lot. I even saw one property in there in prestigious “Pasadena Highlands” (Historical District) that could possibly qualify for Mills Act tax treatment if some of the (visible to the front) and interior silly things that were done to it over the years were restored:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1384-N-Chester-Ave_Pasadena_CA_91104_M23081-65401

For example, acc to Mapquest, it is 13 to 15.5 miles (2 short routes) to the Dtn Temple Street Justice Complex one way from the above address. I don’t know about available public transportation from there but if I was moving to LA with the OP’s price range, that’s where I would go without a second thought. My second choice would be Claremont. Both cities are very beautiful and well-kept maintaining their values with Pasadena a real standout.

Also, I had friends from SD who accepted jobs in LA who raised their families in Flintridge/La Canada and also Hacienda Heights and were very pleased. However their kids grew up in the nineties and I don’t know how it is there now, nor am I familiar with the SFR price ranges in these communities.

My kid has a friend who moved to West Covina last year from the Sweetwater District (SD Co) and she was impressed with the (VERY well-equipped) HS there:

http://www.cousd.k12.ca.us/education/school/school.php?sectionid=5

It’s pretty flat out there (in East LA Co) but I have no doubt that a buyer could get more for the money.

[desmond]

I gave Former SD the contact info on the RE agent for the “Expert Opinion” and said not to listen to me. You know it all, I’m out.

[The-Shoveler]

I already put my vote for Valencia or Simi Valley (two of the safest neighborhoods in the U.S.A. currently).

But for the members on this board, I think it’s just too close to being like Temecula for everyone’s comfort zones.
Ha! Ha !,

Anyway, just kidding.

[The-Shoveler]

One other thing,

The city of Valencia, (like Temecula) is one of the few cities in SoCal running a budget surplus.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=desmond]I gave Former SD the contact info on the RE agent for the “Expert Opinion” and said not to listen to me. You know it all, I’m out.[/quote]

I’m not familiar with Valencia but would agree that a safe environment to raise kids in should be a top priority for a young parent. However, I (and am assuming you, as well) are fortunate in that we didn’t have any kids with “special-needs.”

In the OP’s situation, sometimes a very well-established urban school district in CA offers more programs in compliance with FAPE than a distant suburban or exurban district would.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Appropriate_Public_Education

http://autism.about.com/b/2009/08/21/where-are-the-best-schools-for-kids-with-autism.htm

Your RE-agent friend may be more familiar with the public school special-education programs in the various school districts in his area or know someone who is or where to find the info.

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Regarding commutes.

At 10 am Wednesday October 10, here are the Google Maps “in traffic estimates for various places to downtown LA:

Valencia : 51 Minutes by car
48 minutes, plus connections (drive/walk to/from station) by transit

Culver City : 21 minutes by car, 29 minutes plus connection (drive/walk to/from station) by light rail

Pasadena : 15 minutes by car

[(former)FormerSanDiegan]

Whatever you do, rent in your target area first.

When we moved to LA’s west side, we aimed at Santa Monica, but were priced out. After spending some time in the area and discovered a hidden gem in Culver City. I am sure that people in Pasadena, Santa Clarita and other areas have no idea what a find Cuvler City is. But ask anybody who lives/works on the west side of LA and they know.

The main problem for you is that $675 k would have given you plenmty of options 12 months ago. Not so much now.

Regardless of where you choose. Make sure to rent in the area first. Local traffic patterns have a huge impact on lifestyle. Speaking from personal experience… you could live 15 miles from work and have a reaosnable 25-minute commute. Or you could live 6 miles from work and have it regularly take 40-45 minutes.

[ocrenter]

[quote=The-Shoveler]One other thing,

The city of Valencia, (like Temecula) is one of the few cities in SoCal running a budget surplus.[/quote]

I agree Shoveler, except some people are taking this discussion way too personally.

I personally like Valencia a lot. It’s beautiful. It is the perfect suburbia. It gets really hot, like IE hot, but then the Valley gets quite hot as well. It is what it is. but if you want a SD style suburbia, Valencia is as close as it gets.

I do think one has to be very careful committing to long commutes. And Valencia to downtown LA is considered a long commute, I don’t think we need a panel of expert to debate that.

And since the job is in downtown LA, I don’t think we should discount the entire LA basin plus the adj valleys and toss it out under the “urban wasteland” bucket. LA is a lot more urban, so expectations need to be different. that’s all.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=FormerSanDiegan]Regarding commutes.

At 10 am Wednesday October 10, here are the Google Maps “in traffic estimates for various places to downtown LA:

Valencia : 51 Minutes by car
48 minutes, plus connections (drive/walk to/from station) by transit

Culver City : 21 minutes by car, 29 minutes plus connection (drive/walk to/from station) by light rail

Pasadena : 15 minutes by car[/quote]

Of course, Pasadena wins the “commute contest,” hands down! And it is “night and day” there from dtn LA and East LA/Vernon. It’s a really nice community to live in, most neighborhoods are extremely walkable and it is convenient to all yet segregated from the grit :=]

Remember that it is cheaper and more convenient to pay for A/C or a whole house fan ($15 mo in SD) for a few months than spend 2.5 – 4 hrs commuting every day and then possibly have to run A/C for just as long or longer in the “lizardland” community. This is especially true with the recent spike in gas prices.

[ocrenter]

[quote=FormerSanDiegan]Regarding commutes.

At 10 am Wednesday October 10, here are the Google Maps “in traffic estimates for various places to downtown LA:

Valencia : 51 Minutes by car
48 minutes, plus connections (drive/walk to/from station) by transit

Culver City : 21 minutes by car, 29 minutes plus connection (drive/walk to/from station) by light rail

Pasadena : 15 minutes by car[/quote]

bottom line is how flexible is work. If work is flexible with the hours, your list of possibilities really open up nicely.

if it is difficult to figure out prior to the start date, may have to consider renting first.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=FormerSanDiegan]Whatever you do, rent in your target area first. . . .

The main problem for you is that $675 k would have given you plenmty of options 12 months ago. Not so much now.

Regardless of where you choose. Make sure to rent in the area first. Local traffic patterns have a huge impact on lifestyle. Speaking from personal experience… you could live 15 miles from work and have a reaosnable 25-minute commute. Or you could live 6 miles from work and have it regularly take 40-45 minutes.[/quote]

The low inventory causing price increases is the problem, FSD. I think if the OP uses a very experienced agent for the city they are interested in purchasing in, they won’t make a buying mistake. If they sign a one-year lease, the properties they are seeing now that they qualify for will be a minimum of 12% higher when their lease expires, esp the well-located ones, IMHO.

[desmond]

OK, that’s better, working together. BG, you mentioned (btw it’s) La Canada-Flintridge (they are very snobby) yes that place is awesome, but the homes start a $1 million. (My first house that I bought was next door in poor old La Crescenta back in 1986). Pasadena, very awesome (my brother in law lives in Alta Dena) again nothing reasonable for the $650K budget. Eagle Rock, my brother in law’s first house was there, again nice, but not within budget. Like anywhere you will have to go out further to get more. There is massive and almost finished construction on the I5 from Valencia to Downtown that will really help the commute. Valencia or Santa Clarita has really worked hard on public transportation with Metrolink stations that are really nice, ample parking. btw back in 1994 during the earthquake my wife worked at the Biltmore in downtown LA and she started taking the Metrolink back then, our sex life improved dramatically…….

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