Los Angeles Real Estate Blog & Market Updates

Major changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac condominium financing standards took effect on August 3, 2026, and another important reserve-funding change arrives January 4, 2027. For condo buyers and sellers throughout Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley and the Westside, that means an HOA’s reserves, deferred maintenance, special assessments, insurance and other building-level issues can affect whether a buyer is able to obtain the loan they planned to use.

California's FAIR Plan is raising residential insurance rates by an average of 29.1% starting October 15, 2026, but that number is a statewide average, not what any one homeowner will pay. In San Fernando Valley communities like Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Woodland Hills, and Calabasas, the real difference comes down to whether a home sits in the flats or climbs into the hills, with hillside and canyon-adjacent properties facing the steepest increases.

California’s balcony inspection law requires mandatory safety inspections of balconies, decks, stairways, and walkways on residential buildings with three or more units where those structures are more than six feet above the ground and rely on wood for structural support. Two laws govern this: SB 326 for condominiums and HOA properties, and SB 721 for apartment buildings. All initial inspections were due by January 1, 2026. If you’re buying, owning, or renting in a qualifying