Pacific Palisades Area (Los Angeles, Inglewood, Santa Monica: real estate, rentals, condos) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

Hairloom1 · 08-24-2008, 09:51 PM

Hello, my boyfriend and I are currently looking for a home. We where looking for a place in Santa Monica, but he felt that it was too crowded and he usually prefers more...serene places.

Usually my boyfriend makes me do all the decisions when it comes to "Financial" reasoning. Even though he is in charge of the Business he owns. We where thinking the area of Pacific Palisades/Topanga Canyon.

Is it possible to find a spacious house there over 2000sq.
(With a price tag of around 2,000,000? It can be before the financing and the interest rate)

BRinSM · 08-24-2008, 11:08 PM

you may avoid the crowds by not living in SM, but even if you live somewhere less crowded, you're still in LA and any time you need to get anywhere, you will run into crowds.

hsw · 08-24-2008, 11:52 PM

Know several astute financiers from SiliconValley/NYC who are renting wkend houses (>$10MM houses) on Westside/Malibu....rentals are fairly cheap, given the large inventory of new/newer, unsold houses....

LA real estate seems much like early '90s....smells like a multi-yr downcycle w/no financial logic to buy at this point....

Recall that LA real estate's last Bubble peaked in '89....bottomed in ?'94 at some 60% of '89 prices....only re-reached '89 prices in ?'00....real estate operates in multi-yr cycles, even in supposedly wealthy, coastal, recession-resistant areas....no matter what clueless, dishonest realtors/developers will always claim....

Hairloom1 · 08-25-2008, 04:00 PM

I was using "real estate' websites like reMax to find a nice home for a price tag of 1.75 million. Most of them where not that super nice. My boyfriends business is in Culver City (closer to airport) The starting "beautiful homes" start at 5 million. Which is sad how expensive that is. But if anything how expensive is Ocean Front Property in Santa Monica/Venice Beach area? Condos by the beach is around one million. Though we where wishing for a house, perhaps we need to lower our standards as that area is very expensive.

Otis Campbell · 01-06-2009, 08:56 PM

Pacific Palisades is THE BEST area on the westside.. If you can buy there do it.. You can get a 4500 sq ft home in the highlands for 2 mil.

youngmoney · 01-06-2009, 10:18 PM

Palisades is one of the most desirable, if not the most, area in LA County. However, the downside, is that the dollar doesn't go far. The schools are suburb and community is more inline with suburbia, however, you get greater bang for your buck in the Valley. $2,000,000 can buy 6,000 sq. foot mansion on an acre in Encino. ..that is if you are willing.

Brentwood is ritzy but far more expensive than the valley. Hollywood Hills are the cheapest of the "Hills" without going into the Valley or into the IE, but that is way too far from Culver City.

I recommend the South Bay too, Manhattan is really crowded but nice. Also, check out Playa Del Rey and El Segundo... since they are close to Culver City. Playa Del Rey has good bang for your buck because the schools are horrible and cart kids in who live by Inglewood.

Topanga to Culver City is far more than an hour in traffic, and pretty unreasonable. Palisades are still pushing it but at least you can use lightly-traveled Sunset to get to 405. But, as with anywhere, 405 is going to be your biggest problem. Hence, why Playa Del Rey and El Segundo so you won't need to use the freeway.

Best wishes.

impala666 · 01-07-2009, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hairloom1

I was using "real estate' websites like reMax to find a nice home for a price tag of 1.75 million. Most of them where not that super nice. My boyfriends business is in Culver City (closer to airport) The starting "beautiful homes" start at 5 million. Which is sad how expensive that is. But if anything how expensive is Ocean Front Property in Santa Monica/Venice Beach area? Condos by the beach is around one million. Though we where wishing for a house, perhaps we need to lower our standards as that area is very expensive.

If you have $2M you should be able to bag a great house,the whole world economy is in a mess and plenty of people out there would be happy with $2M for a house they use maybe two times a year.
Target the houses you like the look of directly and try to get contact details of the owner from the housekeepers. Leave your contact details and ask them to get back to you,you will be supprised at the response.
All the real estate agents will shoot me down for this advice but it worked for me twice in the last two years and I saved a pile,I may have lost it now for the moment but thats not the point!!
Just remember one thing when you get to the top of the property ladder the only way is down.

LizzyNola · 01-07-2009, 01:40 PM

2 MIL will buy you something in almost ANY area of Los Angeles with the property situation the way it is now.

Many folks are in trouble and would be happy to dump out of their "over~priced" properties.

I have friends in Malibu and one of them is in trouble with a property she paid 8MIL for in 1992.

Since your husband works in CC do you have to have a home right at the beach? Check out the Marina/Westchester/Ladera areas where you can have a view of the ocean and a very nice home for that money!

Palisades/Topanga is nice as well, and I will bet you can find something very decent for 2MIL.