Are these Areas considered safe?(North Hollywood: Condos, houses, family) (Riverside: short sales, apartment)

[steven1012]

Well I currently live in Sherman Oaks with my family of 4. I got laid off a couple months ago and got a new job recently but the pay isn't so well so I need to move. I've visited my friends a couple times in north hollywood but don't really know much about it. I've found a couple homes I like in these areas, are they safe?

[majoun]

Neither one is safe. The first one's worse than the second.

The further south you are in the Valley, the better.E verything south of Riverside/Camarillo is very safe, and just about anything south of Magnolia's safe - between Magnolia and Burbank the overwhelming majority of streets are safe, and between Burbank and Oxnard it varies depending on the street. Some streets are good, some aren't. North of Oxnard St. is to be avoided with a very small number of exceptions.

Forget about an SFR and get an apartment further south.

[LABornandRaised]

The first photo is really more like Sun Valley, rather than North Hollywood. If you plan on living on the East side of the 170 Fwy, i recommend in the very least trying to find a house south of Oxnard St. What's your price range? You may be able to find something in the NoHo Arts district or close to it, which is quite safe.

The second photo is considered Valley Glen, which is better than Sun Valley. You're closer to the LA Valley College, so you'll have that crowd as your neighbors. Try looking in the 91601 and 91602 zip codes rather than the 91606 or 91605 zip codes.

[steven1012]

Originally Posted by LABornandRaised

The first photo is really more like Sun Valley, rather than North Hollywood. If you plan on living on the East side of the 170 Fwy, i recommend in the very least trying to find a house south of Oxnard St. What's your price range? You may be able to find something in the NoHo Arts district or close to it, which is quite safe.

The second photo is considered Valley Glen, which is better than Sun Valley. You're closer to the LA Valley College, so you'll have that crowd as your neighbors. Try looking in the 91601 and 91602 zip codes rather than the 91606 or 91605 zip codes.

Thanks for the help and my price range is $300,000 MAX. I know 3 br homes are impossible to find in a good area so I'm just looking for a decent area.

[LABornandRaised]

Originally Posted by steven1012

Thanks for the help and my price range is $300,000 MAX. I know 3 br homes are impossible to find in a good area so I'm just looking for a decent area.

That budget is a bit tight, but I have seen some foreclosures in the area running in that price range. The houses are going to run in the range of 900-1100 squarefeet for that price point if you want to stay in the 91601 or 91602 zip code. There will be some odd balls where the banks just want to make a quick sale and price a large house at a low price point.

Here is one in the NoHo redevelopment zone at $265K, but as you can see it's very tiny (just less than 900 squarefeet): http://www.redfin.com/CA/N-Hollywood...1/home/5290709

Try to stay away from the short sales since those take months to process, unless you have time to wait.

[JohnG72]

BTW, you said family of four...you're really going to send your kids to those schools?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

BTW, you said family of four...you're really going to send your kids to those schools?

The 2nd location is in the Grant High neighborhood which also includes Sherman Oaks. While if I had kids I wouldn't send them to ANY LAUSD comprehensive, Grant is one of the better LAUSD comprehensives (i.e. it's merely bad rather unspeakably awful). Someone who has kids of school age and can't afford private schools probably shouldn't be in an LAUSD area in the first place unless the kids have already gotten into a magnet or a charter.

I'd recommend that the OP merely get an apartment in the most rundown and cheapest part of Burbank near the Burbank airport just so their kids can go to good schools.

[steven1012]

How is the 91406 area of Van Nuys? I think it's also known as Lake Balboa. There's a lot of homes for a reasonable price there.