Moving from Santa Monica to...?!?! (Torrance, Redondo Beach: rental market, townhouse, private school)

[Lyndsay77]

We are fairly new to LA, we moved here nearly 2 years ago from London. We moved to Santa Monica for the good schools, but we are finding it very expensive and the rental market is dire. So we're looking to move now, Ideally want to stay in SM (maybe ocean park side) as kids in schools and don't want to move them.. but our quality of life with where we live isn't amazing, really rundown, outdated and old townhouse with awful landlords & everything falling apart - but still for $4500 a month. We've been looking at where we can get better places to live for similar amount of rent.. I want to know if there's anywhere else with good middle/high schools (state) in LA etc.... that anyone could recommend to us? Anywhere that's on the rise? We're looking at cheviot hills in culver city over the weekend.Thanks in advance for any advice!! PS we need a 3 bed preferably with garden/outside area or 2 bed with den that could be used as 3rd bed. THAnk you!!

[BRinSM]

for good middle/high schools, you'll need to make sure you're not in the city of LA, unless you can find something in brentwood or pac pal (highly unlikely in your price range). culver city may be an option, but you may not find a decent detached house for that price. fyi, cheviot hills is in city of LA. what is your commute tolerance and where is the office?

[Lyndsay77]

We are both freelance, I work all over LA, mostly downtown and el sugundo, also i work only 2-3 days a week, and my work time varies, sometimes i start at 7am (so miss the traffic mostly). My husbands studio is in Main Street, Santa monica.

Do you know if the rent prices increase in the summer? As our lease is only up end of June... we have viewed two properties that would have been perfect for us, and under $5k - but both avail now. Does the rental market increase in volume and cost in the summer months??

[disgruntled la native]

rental market often gets a little hotter in the summer and early fall. November, December, and JAnuary are great times to start a lease because landlords get a little desperate to fill the vacancy.

[JustMike77]

FWIW, I chose to live in Woodland Hills for about HALF the cost of Santa Monica and put my son in private school. It worked out great. He went to a great Catholic school for about 12 grand a year and i was still money ahead. Something to consider perhaps.

[JohnG72]

Just about any of the South Bay communities. El Segundo, Hermosa, Manhattan, Redondo, and Torrance would all suit your needs. Rents will be quite a bit less in Redondo Beach and Torrance.

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by Lyndsay77

but our quality of life with where we live isn't amazing, really rundown, outdated and old townhouse with awful landlords & everything falling apart - but still for $4500 a month. We've been looking at where we can get better places to live for similar amount of rent..

Maybe look at Calabasas.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...505782425.html

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...510723106.html

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...506197902.html

[Cream1]

Originally Posted by capoeira

Maybe look at Calabasas.

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...505782425.html

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...510723106.html

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sf...506197902.html

Best part of Calabasas is the easy commute to Downtown LA, Santa Monica, and El Segundo.

[Cloudwalker]

If your husband works in Santa Monica, you get a priority when applying for an inter-district permit to keep them in SMMUSD. The permit process is about to close (think it runs Jan-mid-April), so you'd want to find out whether their current school is likely to offer any permit spots for the next academic year before you start looking. And in fact, you probably can't apply for a permit until you are actually out of the district...

If it were me, I would look for another place over the summer, quietly leave them in their current schools, and then apply for a permit in the next round at the beginning of next year. And they will then have been enrolled in SMMUSD for 3 years, which also gives them priority. Once you have the permit, it lasts through to the end of high school.

[Lyndsay77]

Originally Posted by Cloudwalker

If your husband works in Santa Monica, you get a priority when applying for an inter-district permit to keep them in SMMUSD. The permit process is about to close (think it runs Jan-mid-April), so you'd want to find out whether their current school is likely to offer any permit spots for the next academic year before you start looking. And in fact, you probably can't apply for a permit until you are actually out of the district...

If it were me, I would look for another place over the summer, quietly leave them in their current schools, and then apply for a permit in the next round at the beginning of next year. And they will then have been enrolled in SMMUSD for 3 years, which also gives them priority. Once you have the permit, it lasts through to the end of high school.

Thank you Cloudwalker this is very helpful info!!! And thank you to everyone who replied also.