Home › Forums › Closed Forums › Properties or Areas › l.a. is a hellhole.
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bearishgurl.
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June 8, 2015 at 2:19 PM #787115June 8, 2015 at 2:49 PM #787116
FlyerInHi
Guest[quote=The-Shoveler]
Housing is pushing further and further out (Job’s and industry are following).
[/quote]For sure.
I drive the San Diego – Vegas route frequently, and I see it. LA will extend all the way to Victorville eventually, maybe with a high speed train to Vegas. Fontana and San Bernardino are booming.While there is a place for the suburbs and the exurbs, there is a demographic desire for the city.
Back in the 90s, you could have bought a condo in Century City for the mid $200s, the same as a big house in Corona or Temecula. Not true anymore. Century city is now very sought after. You could also have bought a small rundown building in Hollywood. You’d now be an owner of store fronts and apartments above that generate rental income.
My bet is that the price gap between the city and suburbs will widen (as happened in NYC vs its suburbs); though, in California, the suburbs will do well enough thanks to population growth.
BTW, over the weekend, I was in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo visiting people. The whole sterility it all was such a turn off to me, though I do understand the attraction of it all. Miles after miles of the same thing. I’d rather live in the city.
June 8, 2015 at 3:41 PM #787118flyer
ParticipantI do understand for those who live in the LA area either for jobs or by choice, the city has a lot to offer, but it’s just not for us.
In addition, we’ve found it interesting that many of my wife’s friends in the “Hollywood” crowd are moving to the San Diego area. These are insiders who know LA inside and out, and can live anywhere they desire, but prefer the SAN lifestyle.
Like us, they realize all the excitement you may crave is a short car, plane or helicopter ride away, so it’s nice to have the best of both worlds.
June 8, 2015 at 3:44 PM #787119bearishgurl
Participantshoveler, LA County really does have lots of land. It’s just that its leaders had the foresight to leave it preserved as open space …. as it should be.
As well all know, SD County and its cities’ leadership systematically all sold out to Big Development beginning five years after the passage of the Mello Roos Community Facilities Act (of 1982). The lure of the eventual incoming property tax revenue (from teeter funds) was just too great for our (greedy) elected officials. In doing so, they sold out their constituents’ future quality of life with their votes.
Show me ONE community in LA County which lies within a CFD and has Mello Roos. Post it here, please. I want to see how far-flung it is, which trash dump it was built on or which island it’s on.
Therein lies your answer. The formation of CFDs has essentially decimated the livability in many areas of the City and County of SD.
SFRs (and condos in most) in nearly all the cities mentioned here are NOT affordable for a worker-bee single or couple or buy-and-hold investor. The more affordable LA Co cities lie east and southeast of downtown LA.
And there’s really nothing wrong with nearly all of them. The LaVernes, La Puentes, Rowland Heights, West Covinas and Baldwin Parks (etc) of the world are SoCal’s version of Leave it to Beaver and Mayberry RFD (as is dtn Chula Vista) with their mature tree-lined sidewalks, block walls with decorative brick, monthly antique car shows and weekly farmer’s markets, etc. ALL of these cities (and their “brethren” out there) are extremely livable, fairly close-in (and reasonably-priced) with average lot sizes of 7500+ sf and “real” red oak hardwood floors, among other mid-century features!
Yes, the crime rate has vastly improved in nearly ALL of LA County as it has in SD County (mostly due to “neighborhood policing” policies adopted in the ’80’s and early ’90’s).
Except for AC being a necessity part of the year in most communities east of I-605, I see no other drawbacks to living in that area or even raising a family out there (many of the public schools out there are rated 8-10)!
Yes, most of these communities have a very high population of Asian immigrants, including (mostly US trained) doctors, lawyers and other professionals. Most of this population (or their parents) immigrated from China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Phillipines in the last 35 years.
Folks, you won’t find these well-built houses in SD County built to this magnitude …. ANYWHERE! For example, in tiny Normal Heights and Talmadge (SD), where some do exist, most of them are heavily mixed in with multifamily bldgs on the same street and are mostly situated on 5000-6000 sf lots. And they cost a LOT MORE than the current $350K to $475K listing prices in the San Gabriel Valley (LA Co) cities mentioned above.
LA is far from a “hellhole” but I do agree that the western portion of it is essentially unaffordable to buy into for the vast majority of homebuyers and investors. In any case, there are many, many more “job centers” in or near LA County with a much wider variety of jobs available than in SD County.
June 8, 2015 at 4:03 PM #787120GuestBG, I just looked on Redfin. The median in Rowland Heights is $778k.
I don’t see any SFR for $400k.Please share an example of a listing.
June 8, 2015 at 4:18 PM #787121Participant[quote=FlyerInHi][quote=The-Shoveler]
Housing is pushing further and further out (Job’s and industry are following).
[/quote]For sure.
I drive the San Diego – Vegas route frequently, and I see it. LA will extend all the way to Victorville eventually, maybe with a high speed train to Vegas. Fontana and San Bernardino are booming.While there is a place for the suburbs and the exurbs, there is a demographic desire for the city.
Back in the 90s, you could have bought a condo in Century City for the mid $200s, the same as a big house in Corona or Temecula. Not true anymore. Century city is now very sought after. You could also have bought a small rundown building in Hollywood. You’d now be an owner of store fronts and apartments above that generate rental income.
My bet is that the price gap between the city and suburbs will widen (as happened in NYC vs its suburbs); though, in California, the suburbs will do well enough thanks to population growth.
BTW, over the weekend, I was in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo visiting people. The whole sterility it all was such a turn off to me, though I do understand the attraction of it all. Miles after miles of the same thing. I’d rather live in the city.[/quote]
FIH, I agree that some cities in San Bernardino County are “booming.” Although the residential RE is still reasonably priced, the cities along SR-71 (SB Co’s western corridor bordering LA Co) such as Chino Hills and Montclair DO seem to be booming in that residential listings seem to be selling fast and for all cash. This (western corridor) of SanBern Co seems to be much better-zoned than the I-215 corridor of San Bern (which still has ag mixed with light industry mixed with residential).
As the earlier article linked here stated, I DO believe that from here on out, LA area millenials who want to buy an affordable newer house for their families and who can find well-paying employment in eastern OC financial centers will end up flocking to SanBern County (possibly Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana but not much further). However, the leader of the City of San Bern are still duking it out and mired with issues, almost all relating to their 2013 BK filing.
As far as those communities (in Riv Co) south of the former March AFB, well that’s a pretty far-flung choice for a multi-year daily grind to an LA/OC job. Temecula/Murrieta are actually better suited to an Inland North County SD job.
FIH, I agree that LA County homebuyers WOULD prefer urban such as Burbank, Glendale or even Pasadena but because of these cities’ excellent locations and architecture (ex: Pasadena), SFRs located within them are so cost prohibitive now (for those who do not yet own a home there) that only the wealthiest buyers can afford them. Even small homes listed under $800K in these cities often need $150K++ of work to make them habitable.
June 8, 2015 at 4:27 PM #787122Participantdupe
June 8, 2015 at 4:34 PM #787123GuestIf I were a worker bee, I’d live in Vegas, or Phoenix or Tucson. At least over there, you can save up and own something reasonable.
June 8, 2015 at 4:38 PM #787125The-Shoveler
Participant[quote=bearishgurl]
As the earlier article linked here stated, I DO believe that from here on out, LA area millenials who want to buy an affordable newer house for their families and who can find well-paying employment in eastern OC financial centers will end up flocking to SanBern County (possibly Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana but not much further). However, the leader of the City of San Bern are still duking it out and mired with issues, almost all relating to their 2013 BK filing.
[/quote]These people are also pushing Corona into Lake Elsinore.
Eventually SD and OC/LA spillover development will meet in Lake Elsinore.
(Temecula as well as Corona are becoming more and more Job centers of their own BTW).
June 8, 2015 at 4:46 PM #787126Participant[quote=FlyerInHi]BG, I just looked on Redfin. The median in Rowland Heights is $778k.
I don’t see any SFR for $400k.Please share an example of a listing.[/quote]
Well, I haven’t looked around in there since March, FIH, but in 91748, there are dozens of SFR recent sold comps (last six months) in the $400K range.
see: http://www.realtor.com/soldhomeprices/Rowland-Heights_CA/type-single-family-home
The case is the same with neighboring Hacienda Heights (91745, which I HAVE been on the street in) … as well:
http://www.realtor.com/soldhomeprices/Hacienda-Heights_CA/type-single-family-home
I think I still have these cities saved in the realtor.com aggregator so I’ll check for any current listings priced under $475K.
If there are now few to none, then whew …. home values in these cities must currently be increasing in the double digits …. every MONTH!!
June 8, 2015 at 4:48 PM #787124Guest[quote=flyer]I do understand for those who live in the LA area either for jobs or by choice, the city has a lot to offer, but it’s just not for us.
In addition, we’ve found it interesting that many of my wife’s friends in the “Hollywood” crowd are moving to the San Diego area. These are insiders who know LA inside and out, and can live anywhere they desire, but prefer the SAN lifestyle.
Like us, they realize all the excitement you may crave is a short car, plane or helicopter ride away, so it’s nice to have the best of both worlds.[/quote]
Maybe your wife’s friends have pied-a-terres in LA for when they need to go up there for business. Lucky them.
June 8, 2015 at 5:00 PM #787127spdrun
ParticipantIf I were a worker bee, I’d live in Vegas, or Phoenix or Tucson. At least over there, you can save up and own something reasonable.
And live in Nevada or Arizona. Tucson is probably best of the three, but Vegas and Phoenix are shitholes. East coast is far less unpleasant than either of those two.
June 8, 2015 at 5:01 PM #787128ParticipantI guess the thrust of the reason for my (late) participation here is: why are the posters only using some of the most expensive housing markets in LA for comparison purposes (or to drive home the notion that LA county is “unaffordable” or a “hellhole”).
Sure, if you won’t live in SD Co unless you can buy a SFR in Mission Hills (or in LA unless you can buy a SFR in Pasadena), then of course, BOTH counties would be “unaffordable” in your eyes.
If an LA Co resident works near the home that they own and occupy, how is that any worse than living in, say MM and “commuting” 10 minutes to CV every day (using this example for SD Co)?
What the h@ll is wrong with “regular” homes in “regular” neighborhoods in SoCal … you know, the ones which have large enough lots for your kids to actually run and play in?
Speaking of family-oriented communities, was anyone aware that West Covina (among nearby cities) has one of the largest (if not THE largest), most sophisticated little league stadium in the nation?
June 8, 2015 at 5:07 PM #787129Participant[quote=FlyerInHi]If I were a worker bee, I’d live in Vegas, or Phoenix or Tucson. At least over there, you can save up and own something reasonable.[/quote]
As a periodic and regular “road warrior,” I can safely say here that the above cities are all Armpits with a capital “A.”
Break out the antiperspirant …. and beware of out-of-control tumbleweeds!
June 8, 2015 at 5:21 PM #787131Participant[quote=scaredyclassic]Spent the weekend in la. Saw Tony gaga and lady bennett. I am old: this l.a. is a ridiculous hellhole. My neck hurts and I’m exhausted. How can people make it there. When we returned the,wide road from the fwy. To our house was virtually empty. The kids found that funny.[/quote]
scaredy, you need to pick your battles. You aren’t going to be able to see Tony gaga and lady bennett in Temecula … that is, unless they end up appearing in some far flung casino (such as Pechanga) in your neck of the woods.
I could see old codger Tony gaga doing the casino circuit but NOT lady bennett, who is too famous and has years of touring left in her.
I realize you live a pretty secluded life with your family holed up in your “estate property” off the beaten bath … that is, uhhh, until you get back to work in the morning … then your being takes on a whole new persona in a completely different environment … entirely …. LOL
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