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.

The LA housing market in August 2026 holds a slight seller's advantage, with a Market Action Index of 35 and median list price at $1,399,000. Mortgage rates climbed to 6.71%, the highest level in over a year, yet well-priced homes across the San Fernando Valley and the Westside of Los Angeles are still drawing multiple offers while overpriced listings sit.

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.

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.

Selling a home in the San Fernando Valley or on the Westside comes down to three things: realistic pricing, a clear timeline, and focused preparation before you list. The data can tell you what similar homes have sold for, but the buyer determines your final sale price, not your agent and not the comps. Sellers who treat their list price as an invitation rather than a guarantee, and who prepare their home properly before it hits the market, are the ones who sell for the most

The most important questions to ask a realtor before selling your home are how well they know your neighborhood, how they approach pricing, how they handle negotiations and offers, and how they will guide you through premarketing and preparation. In the San Fernando Valley and on the Westside right now, real local knowledge and pricing discipline separate a trustworthy advisor from someone reciting a quick AI search.

Compromising when buying a home in Los Angeles usually means choosing a house with good bones in the right location over waiting for one that checks every single box. Buyers who wait too long for a perfect home often end up paying more later for less, while buyers who compromise on the right things build equity and can always improve or move up from there.

Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center's $562 million Tarzana Reimagined project has already delivered its biggest piece: the 150-room Friese Family Tower, the new main entrance, and the 600 stall parking structure are all open and in daily use. What is still being finished is the emergency department expansion from 60 to 100 treatment spaces, along with the final stages of seismic retrofitting on the hospital's older buildings, and Cedars-Sinai has now become a full

Moving to Los Angeles means preparing for earthquakes, power outages, coyotes and other wildlife, wildfire risk, and insurance changes that most relocation guides skip over. A basic earthquake supply kit, a go bag with your essential documents, a car that never drops below half a tank of gas, and a careful read of a property's Natural Hazard Disclosure report will serve you better than any list of best neighborhoods. This post covers eleven things about life in LA that come u

Selling a home in Los Angeles takes longer than one week, and a quiet opening stretch is not a reason to panic. The first seven days produce data, not a verdict. Sellers who slash their price after week one almost always give up leverage they never had to surrender.

The right time to sell your home in Los Angeles depends more on your personal readiness than market headlines. If you have equity, a clear plan for where you're going, a home that's prepped for the market, and the flexibility to price strategically, spring 2026 is a strong window. If you don't have your next move sorted out, you're not willing to do the prep work, or you're banking on a price that doesn't match what buyers are paying today, waiting may be the smarter call.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 6.30 percent this week, marking two straight weeks of declines and a four-week low. But the LA County data tells a more nuanced story: both pending and closed escrow numbers have declined over the past three weeks. Rates are moving in the right direction. The market has not caught up yet.

Mortgage rates fell last week to 6.37 percent, the first meaningful drop in weeks. Buyer activity across the Westside of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley has picked up noticeably. Rates update again Thursday, April 16, and I will be watching closely.

Tarzana has one of the strongest senses of community of any neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. People know each other here. • The neighborhood has deep, fascinating roots dating back to Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author who created Tarzan and literally named this community. Ventura Boulevard offers walkable access to restaurants, shops, markets, and services that rival any neighborhood in Los Angeles.

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.

Agent compensation is always negotiable. Listing side typically runs 2.5 to 4%, and buyer's agent compensation, if the seller agrees to pay it, typically runs 2 to 3%. • Closing costs, including escrow and title fees, typically run about 1.25% of the sale price. • All in, sellers in Los Angeles can expect total costs of roughly 4.25% to 8.25% of the sale price depending on what is negotiated. • Inspection findings, termite reports, and repairs can add

Real estate transactions are complex. There are title issues, inspection surprises, contractor questions, neighbor disputes, permit problems, HOA complications, appraisal gaps, and a hundred other things that can come up between the moment you decide to buy or sell and the moment you get your keys or your check. The question is not whether problems will come up. They always do. The question is whether your agent is going to solve them or hand them back to you. I am Leegie Par