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.

When a home inspection uncovers issues like structural damage, mold, or roof problems, get at least three repair estimates before you decide how to move forward. Bids for the exact same scope of work can differ by tens of thousands of dollars, and the inspector's ballpark number in the report is not a substitute for a real bid.

Before you write an offer, or right after you fall for a house, spend real time in the neighborhood around it. Drive the school route, shop the grocery store, grab coffee, and walk the block, because lifestyle fit in the San Fernando Valley or on the Westside matters as much as the floor plan.

Mortgage rates for San Fernando Valley and Westside buyers have spent much of August hovering in the mid-to-upper 6% range. Freddie Mac's August 27 weekly average was 6.66%, but rates moved higher following Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's August 28 Jackson Hole remarks, a reminder of how sensitive borrowing costs remain to inflation data and expectations about future Fed policy. Rates haven't meaningfully improved, but higher rates are also helping create a less competiti

A general home inspection covers the overall condition of a home's major systems and structure, but it is an overview, not a deep dive into any one area. Specialty inspections, including sewer line, mold, termite, foundation, roof, pool, electrical, drainage, and plumbing, go far deeper and are often worth the extra cost, especially when nothing looks obviously wrong on the surface.

You know you're ready to buy a home when you have an actual lender prequalification (not just a conversation), a clear sense of your real monthly number, and a realistic view of your budget. Ready buyers have separated their needs from their wants, have a target area in mind, and can move quickly and confidently once they find the right home.

San Fernando Valley first-time home buyers in 2026 are still closing, but not on the homes they originally pictured. Entry-level single-family homes in Reseda start in the mid to high $700,000s. North Hollywood and West Hills start in the low $800,000s. Buyers who get to the table are combining family gift funds, California down payment assistance, and lenders who know how to qualify them correctly. The Valley is not closed to first-time buyers. It just requires a clearer str

Should I buy a house in LA right now? That is probably the question I get asked more than any other right now. And I am going to give you the honest answer. The truth is, I never tell anyone across the board that it is a good time to buy. Every person's situation is different, and your decision to buy a home in Los Angeles should be based on your finances, your timeline, your life, and your goals, not just what the market is doing on any given day.

Wooden blocks spelling out "MORTGAGE" are arranged on a table, with a small house-shaped keychain and keys beside them, symbolizing home ownership. By Leegie Parker | Real Estate Advisor, Compass | Los Angeles | DRE 01020534 I have been helping people buy and sell homes in Los Angeles since 1989. In that time, I have watched the mortgage business change dramatically. It has become more complex, more document-intensive, and more stringent with every passing decade. What w