Looking for a house around El Segundo (Torrance, Rancho Palos Verdes: renters, hotels)

[OoTLink]

Hey everyone! I was thrilled to get a job offer in the area and have been doing my homework regarding the neighborhoods and rents, with lots of information from very old threads on this forum! Not wanting to necro a thread, I've decided to start a new one.

My family and I plan to stick together, we're all single and adults so schools aren't really a concern, but having a friendly neighborhood on real city streets would be nice. We just spent the last 2 years on a tiny, very constricted dead end street, and the 20 before that in a cul de sac. It'd be nice to live somewhere active!

Ideally, we'd be staying as close as possible to 3500 for rent on a house that is at least 1500 sqft but 2000 would be nice. I know that we should stay as far west as possible, and looking at Trulia the affordable thing to do would either be west Torrance or Rancho Palos Verdes. There's a big ole house in Olde Torrance but it's just northeast of the corner of Sepulveda and Crenshaw. While it's way south of the 405, I've seen a bunch of people on here saying don't get anything east of Crenshaw! Is it that bad?

I see a couple of houses over off Prospect by 190th and Artesia too. Those are in really odd neighborhoods though, both look like a pain in the butt to get into and out of, either with really tiny yards or awkward yards. I see another over by Sepulveda and Palos Verdes, looks ok to me and that's pretty close to the beach.

For 3600 there's also a house in El Segundo off Acadia by California st, but it looks like it's right behind the airport! Shoot, the hotels are right behind it lol.

Sorry for the rambling I guess, but it just doesn't seem like there's that many houses for rent, any advice would be very warmly welcome! I'd love to live in Redondo or Hermosa Beach, but it seems like I'd need at least $5000/month for rent if I wanted to do that.
Thanks.

Edit: my favorite so far is off prospect by diamond in redondo beach. I've noticed the houses there and around that area are.. actually fairly affordable. What gives? :]

[OoTLink]

Thanks dude I appreciate the comments. The part I'm skeptical about is the houses that seem a little cheaper than you'd think.

[thelopez2]

The reason homes are cheaper in the deep Southbay is because they are over an 1 hour from LA. Prospect is a busier faster street than 190th and it is not really walking distance to stuff if that is what you are looking for. If it was on Prospect, it might also have an alley for garage access.

Yes homes are cheaper than you'd think.

El Segundo is also a quick drive from Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice, Etc, Playa del Rey. Homes on traffic busy streets in those areas will also be under 4k.

[JTGJR]

OoyLink, don't necessarily discount homes close to LAX. Many of the homes in El Segundo have been soundproofed.

[OoTLink]

One thing I wonder, is if the house rental market is so soft down there, why are there like.. 5 houses available west of the railroad tracks in torrance? hehe.

[SpaceMonkyPunks]

I'm not sure what your definition of "active" is, but I think Redondo would be the most "active" of all of those places. Plus, something to keep in mind is that most older homes/buildings here don't have A/C, or just crummy window units - so you'll appreciate those ocean breezes during the summer months, haha.

Also, nice screen name!

[OoTLink]

*sigh* Whoever said it's a renters market may have been exaggerating. There were a bunch of good houses up on craigslist and a few other sites up till last weekend, and then bam they all disappeared! Just as I was finishing up planning a trip to check them out.

So now I'm back to the drawing board, and honestly the pickings are really thin west of the 405. I see 2 houses in west torrance and there's one that may just be available in north redondo beach that fit. I'm really hoping that redondo beach house works out! It's a pretty tough job trying to find something that has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms under 3500 heheh.

So how often do house listings come up? Think something will show up in the next couple of weeks?

Thanks ^_^

[thelopez2]

Originally Posted by OoTLink

*sigh* Whoever said it's a renters market may have been exaggerating. There were a bunch of good houses up on craigslist and a few other sites up till last weekend, and then bam they all disappeared! Just as I was finishing up planning a trip to check them out.

So now I'm back to the drawing board, and honestly the pickings are really thin west of the 405. I see 2 houses in west torrance and there's one that may just be available in north redondo beach that fit. I'm really hoping that redondo beach house works out! It's a pretty tough job trying to find something that has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms under 3500 heheh.

So how often do house listings come up? Think something will show up in the next couple of weeks?

Thanks ^_^

I saw a house near 235th and South of Sepulveda, West of torrance for $2800 , 3+2 and a bonus room. A 4+2 in the area will be right about 3k, It is 5-10 minute from the 405, I know aerospace people commute from that area since they start at the crack of dawn.

[OoTLink]

Thanks for the heads up I found a couple houses out by west high, that area ok? The prices are great for the size! I guess I'll have to go check them out.

[SpaceMonkyPunks]

Originally Posted by OoTLink

*sigh* Whoever said it's a renters market may have been exaggerating. There were a bunch of good houses up on craigslist and a few other sites up till last weekend, and then bam they all disappeared! Just as I was finishing up planning a trip to check them out.

So now I'm back to the drawing board, and honestly the pickings are really thin west of the 405. I see 2 houses in west torrance and there's one that may just be available in north redondo beach that fit. I'm really hoping that redondo beach house works out! It's a pretty tough job trying to find something that has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms under 3500 heheh.

So how often do house listings come up? Think something will show up in the next couple of weeks?

Thanks ^_^

Well, it's a "renters market" ... but not in the sense that it's good for renters. It's just that, even though rents are shooting through the roof at an astronomical pace right now, it's still cheaper than buying. The only ones really benefiting from this "renter's market" are landlords.

Yeah, finding a good priced place here is VERY competitive, good deals get can get rented in a matter of days...even hours.